Milton cla-rk



(No Model.)

M. CLARK. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 16, 1884.

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M l L T O N 0 .TJ All K OF N E \V Y ()Rli, N. Y.

STORE SERVlCE APPARATUS.

ESE ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,198, datedDecember 16,1884.

A pplicalion filed July 28, 1881,

I0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON CLARK, of New York, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Store-ServiceApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, primarily, to means iorlowering the car at oneor both ends of the main track of a store-service apparatus, in or derthat it may be more easily handled, and for returning it again to suchmain track; and it consists, principally, in the combination, with themain track, of a terminal track,which forms acontinuation of the maintrack when the car passes onto it from such main track, or from it ontothe main track, which termi nal track readily lowers the car to withinconvenient reach of the operator, when the said car is caused to passupon it, and serves also in again raising the car to pass from it ontothe main track, and of means for propelling or causing the ear to travelthe main track, as will hereinafter be distinctly described.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents in side-elevationone part of apparatus embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 8 arerespectively a partial plan and a partial side elevation on a largerscale. Fig. 4 is an end view of the car and carrier, showing the trackor way in section; and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the ear and carrierand in section on the line a" :0 of the main track and movabletrack-support.

In the drawings, A represents a main track or way of a store-serviceapparatus, there being a series of these tracks or ways, eaeh extendingfrom a clerks counter to a central station, where the goods and cash arereceived, and whence the goods and change are sent; but this main trackhas at one end (or in certain cases at both ends, as when the track ishigh at both ends) a support, B, the main portion of which is out ofline with the track A, to make room for the terminal track. Practicallyit is better to make this terminal track partly of a strip of metal, a,and partly of a cord, a, as shown in Fig. 2, which illustrates the bestform of my invention now known to me, and which I will 110w describe indetail. The support 13 is adapted to hold one end of the main track A,which, as shown, is a wire of sullicientstrcngth, suitably secured tothe support B. The metal strip a is hinged to the support 13 at one end,and its other end is fast to the cord a. This cord passes over pulley a,and through the sheaves of the counter-weight a", and its end is fast tothe support 13. The eounter-\veigl1t (6 also serves as a convenientmeans by which the bight of the cord may be lengthened in order to raisethat part of the cord and the metal strip a, which forms the terminaltrack. The car 1) travels over the main track A, and passes from thatonto the terminal track, when, by allowing the end a to render over thepulley a", the car and the terminal track are lowered to bring the carwithin convenient reach, and by causing the cord a to render over thepulley a the car and the terminal track are lowered to bring the carwithin convenientreaeh, and by causing the cord a to render the otherway over pulley a" the ear and track are raised again to enable the earto pass from the terminal track onto the main track.

It will be obvious that this part of my invention may be largelymodified in formas, for example, the terminal track may be a'strip ofmetal long enough to receive the car, and mounted on a iirame, whichframe can be lowered and raised by means of a cord and pulley; or, thecounter-weight a maybe dispensed. with, and a spring or friction devicesubstituted in its stead, these being matters of de tail, and not of theessence of my invention.

In order to propel the car over the track I have shown a cord or wire,F, having upon it a knob, f, which knob travels from end to end of theway A, and parallel with it, and by engaging with a projection, d, onthe frame of the car 1) causes the car to travel also over the way A.The cord F may be moved in a variety of ways, one of which (clearlyshown in Fig. 1) is by means of pulleys 1) 1), the larger pnl ley,p,being moved at pleasure by the cord p,w11ieh is either an endless belton pulleys p p or has one end last to 19 and is wound several timesaround it, in either case motion of the cord 2) giving motion to p", andthat giving motion to p,whieh causes the cord F to travel over the wayA, and thereby causes the knob f and the car D, moved by it, to travelover the way; but the mechanism for causing the cord F and its knob totravelare imma- I terial, so far as concerns this part of my invention,as any suitable means may be em ployed, for this part of my inventiondoes not relate to the means for causing cord F and its knob f totravel, but consists in the combination of the way, the car, and thecord with a knob upon it to engage the car when the proj ection on thecar-frame is brought in the path of the knob.

I have shown the track A as horizontal; but it will be obvious that thefirst part of my invention is applicable whether the track be horizontalor inclined, or be doubly inclined,

and that the second part of my invention is applicable to a horizontaltrack, and also applicable to a track permanently inclined, although itwill be of little practical use, if any, in the latter case, except whenthe car is to be propelled up the incline, and therefore it can not becalled applicable,strictly, to a doublyinclined track.

I am aware that a way has been described with cars for transportingmaterial arranged to lower the car at one end;and I do not claim suchdevices.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination, acarrier and main track, and two terminal tracks,operating alternately toreceive the carrier from and restore it to the main track, substantiallyas described.

2. In combination, a main track, two terminal tracks, and means,substantially as shown, for operating the terminal tracks, substantially as described.

3. The combination,with a car adapted to be raised above and loweredbeneath the main track A, of the main track, the-cord F, and its knob f,arranged-and operating substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the main track, car D, the cord F, and its knobf, of means for actuating said cord in causing contact of its knob withthe car, whereby the latter is propelled, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the main track, the terminal track,and thesupport sustaining one end of the main track, of the car D, and themeans, substantially as herein described, whereby said car is caused tomove upon the main track.

MILTON CLARK.

Witnesses:

THOMAS K NNEDY, J out: It. Snow.

